Appenzell Ausserrhoden: People

Interesting people from Appenzell Ausserrhoden

Hans-Rudolf Merz

Hans-Rudolf Merz, born in Herisau on 10 November 1942, is a Swiss politician and was Federal Councillor and member of FDP (the Liberals). He served as Vice-President of the Federal Council in 2008 and President of the Swiss Confederation in 2009.

He studied at St. Gallen University and was a member of Herisau Municipal Legislature until 1967. From 1969 to 1974, he served both as Director of the Appenzell Outer Rhodes Industrial Association and Secretary of St. Gallen Radical Party. He was elected to the Federal Council at the second round, on 10 December 2003. From 1 January 2004 through October 2010 he was Head of the Federal Department of Finance.

Johannes Baumann

Johannes Baumann, formerly a Federal Councillor, was born in Herisau on 27 November 1874, and died on 8 September 1953. He was a Federal Councillor from 1934 to 1940 and was also Head of the Department of Justice and Police during that period. In 1938 he became President of the Confederation.

Jürg Frischknecht

Jürg Frischknecht, born in Herisau on 23 January 1947, is a journalist and author. He attended District School in St. Gallen and showed political commitment from an early age, initially in the Appenzell Forum for Political Affairs. He was one of the first to support the introduction of women's voting in the Canton of Appenzell Outer Rhodes.

From 1967 to 1974 he studied sociology, journalism and history at Zurich University. He spent ten years working as the Zurich correspondent of the Basler National-Zeitung.

Markus Zürcher

Markus Zürcher was born in Herisau on 24 February 1946. He is an artist and protagonist of conceptual art and minimalism. From 1971 to 1976, he studied painting at the Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design. He went on to study sculpture and painting at Kassel University.